"The Jews Here Should be in Auschwitz": Lufthansa Crew Member Accused of Vile Statement
A first-class passenger has accused a Lufthansa flight attendant of making a deeply offensive antisemitic comment on a flight from Munich, Germany, to Olbia, Italy. The incident is one of several recent reports of rising antisemitism in the airline industry, a trend that has seen a marked increase since the October 7th attacks.
In a social media post that has since gained significant attention, passenger Barry Cohen described his experience on Lufthansa flight LH 1910 where in addition to the airline losing his luggage, a flight attendant made a shocking comment about the number of Jewish passengers on the plane.
"The stewardess, on board made a comment that there are so many Jews onboard they should be going to Auschwitz," Cohen wrote. "This is what I paid first class for? I am repulsed and offended."
Cohen, who identifies as Jewish, expressed his disgust at the "completely tone deaf and disrespectful comment" and concluded, "This 'Jew' will never fly Lufthansa again."
This allegation is particularly poignant given Lufthansa's history.
In 2022, the German flag carrier issued an apology after more than 100 Hasidic Jewish passengers were prevented from boarding a connecting flight, an incident the airline's CEO acknowledged was a "mistake" and promised to combat antisemitism.
A Surge in Airline-Related Antisemitism Since October 7th
Cohen's experience does not appear to be an isolated one.
Jewish advocacy groups and travelers have reported a disturbing increase in antisemitic incidents involving air travel since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The confined environment of an aircraft, coupled with heightened global tensions, has become a new front for harassment and hate speech.
Notable incidents from the past year include:
These events contribute to a climate of fear for many Jewish travelers.
The incidents highlight the responsibility of airlines to ensure that their aircraft are safe for all passengers, free from discrimination and hate.